Hospital gowns are typically knee length garments, consisting of large sheets of cloth materials with neck and waist ties. They are put on while patients are standing, laying or sitting and are retained by joining the neck and waist ties at the backsides of patients. Although numerous alternatives to current gowns have been developed, as yet none have been accepted because of complexity, high cost and functional limitations.
The standard hospital gown has several drawbacks. One drawback is that body areas which are generally considered “private areas” are exposed when they are uncovered for examinations and procedures, such as wound dressings, injections, suture removals, heart monitoring, telemetry hook-ups and feed line insertions. Exposure of “private areas” embarrasses many patients, particularly female and religious patients, and in some cases causes patient stress.
Another drawback is that during many examinations and procedures patients must be elevated or turned to release neck or waist ties and raise hospital gowns. Elevating and turning patients are not easy tasks, particularly when only a single nurse is available and patients are heavy and/or have limited mobility. In some cases, examinations and procedures are delayed until sufficient resources are available for lifting and turning patients. Another drawback is that elevating and turning patients causes discomfort in some patients. Still yet another drawback is that large body areas are needlessly exposed to contamination and infection. Still yet another drawback is that provisions are unavailable in gowns for storing records, medications such as nitroglycerine, and devices such as heart monitors when patients are moved or otherwise are out of bed.